The Scrumptious Pumpkin

May 30, 2012

Feta-Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Arugula Pesto and Roasted Red Peppers

By The Scrumptious Pumpkin · 39 Comments

I’ll just say it: turkey burgers can be pretty blah.

Sure, they’re a healthier choice because they’re lower in fat and calories than the traditional ground beef burger.

But doesn’t it still add up to a big waste of calories when the food is boring, bland, and flavorless?

So I’ve got this recipe that changes all that.

First, I stuffed the turkey patties with lots of salty crumbled feta.

Then I added smoky roasted red peppers and a fresh and peppery arugula pesto.

These turkey burgers happen to offer a tasty and savory combo of flavors in every cheesy, nutty, peppery bite.

They are so, so yummy.

My meat-and-potatoes-guy officially loves turkey burgers now, which was no easy feat, let me tell you.

Here, I unlock all the not-so-secret ingredients to making turkey burgers that actually taste amazing.

The first step is to make the roasted red peppers.

This is something that should be prepared at least a couple of hours ahead of time.

I’m not the type of individual to properly plan a meal 24 hours in advance, let alone remembering ahead of time to make a topping for a burger.

But in this case, the extra planning is so worth it.

There is just nothing like the flavor of fresh, homemade roasted red peppers on a burger.

And roasted red peppers are actually very easy to make.

They just require some “inactive” time to really absorb all the delicious garlic and olive oil that’s added to them.

Start by preparing your grill for medium heat and charring a red bell pepper.

After the first side has blackened, rotate the pepper to the next side, and so on.

After about 15 minutes or so, your pepper should be completely charred on all sides.

Now place it in a bowl, cover it, and allow it to sit for about 45 minutes.

When the bell pepper has reached room temperature, peel off the charred outer skin.

The skin should peel away easily if the pepper has had enough time to sit and cool (you can’t rush this process, as I’ve learned).

Once all the char is peeled away, you’ll end up with a tender, vivid red roasted pepper.

Cut it into thin strips.

Place the strips in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Mince up a clove of garlic and add it to the bowl.

Then add just a bit of extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine.

Cover and store in the fridge for at least two hours and up to 24 hours.

Amazing flavor that also happens to be very fresh and healthy will soon be yours!

Next up: the arugula pesto.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place some pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Watch them carefully so you end up with golden, lightly toasted pine nuts (they burn fast!)

Place some fresh arugula, one clove of garlic, and the toasted pine nuts in a food processor.

Grate some fresh parmesan and add that as well.

Season with salt and pepper and pulse until you end up with a thick paste.

Add some extra virgin olive oil and pulse again until everything is well combined.

Tip: while you’re at it, make extra! This pesto tastes delicious on pizza or with pasta. (Those recipes TBP (To Be Posted) at a later date.) (Yup, just made up my own acronym. You’re pretty impressed now, right?) (CK (Completely Kidding).)

Next, grab some 95 percent lean ground turkey and divide it into four equally portioned balls.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Press down into the center of each, flattening the bottom and pushing the outer edges up to form a bowl shape.

Toss some crumbled feta cheese into each “bowl.”

I love feta.

It’s salty, it’s mild, and it happens to be a healthier cheese.

(One ounce has 75 calories and four grams of saturated fat, as compared to cheddar at 110 calories and six grams of saturated fat in one ounce.)

So it’s a healthy choice for a burger topping.

And stuffing the burgers with feta add tons of flavor to each bite.

Fold the sides of the patties up and over the cheese until the feta is completely sealed in the center.

Next, grab some whole wheat burger buns.

The secret to making these turkey burgers taste so flavorful is to season every last thing, including the bread!

So brush on just a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

And add just a bit of salt and pepper.

Last, sprinkle on some garlic powder.

Next, prepare the grill for medium heat.

Place the turkey burgers on the grill and let them cook, untouched for about 7 minutes.

Be sure not to flip, move, or press down on the burgers during this time. This is the key to a burger that is nicely browned on the outside, but still juicy and tender inside.

When the first side is lightly browned, it should easily separate from the grill.

Flip, and cook the second side for another 7 minutes or so.

When the meat is fully cooked through, your burgers are ready to serve. (If you’re unsure, you can use a meat thermometer to check for a temperature of 165 degrees F in the very center of the burgers.)

Place the burger buns on the grill for just a couple of minutes to toast them.

And (finally!) assemble your burgers.

Pile on the fresh arugula pesto and the homemade roasted red pepper strips.

The toppings for this burger are bright, colorful, and full of healthy nutrients.

But the most important thing: they add so much deliciousness.

The pepper, arugula, garlic, and feta flavors all work so perfectly together in this big, hearty, juicy burger.

This is one flavorful and satisfying dish!

Here is the complete recipe:

Feta-Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Arugula Pesto and Roasted Red Peppers

Total Time: 4 hours

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Inactive: 3 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound 95% lean ground turkey meat

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 ounces arugula

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons parmesan, freshly grated

4 whole wheat buns

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the Roasted Red Peppers:

Place the bell pepper on a grill prepared for medium heat (or place on a baking sheet under the oven broiler). Allow the pepper to blacken and char on all sides, turning every 5 minutes. When all sides are charred, after about 15-18 minutes, place the pepper in a bowl, cover and allow it to sit on the counter for about 45 minutes. When the pepper has reached room temperature, peel off the charred and blackened skin. If the pepper is cool, the skin should easily peel away. After all of the skin is removed, cut the pepper into thin strips. Place the strips in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours and up to one day.

For the Arugula Pesto:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the are light golden. Watch carefully – pine nuts burn quickly. Place the arugula, 1 garlic clove, the toasted pine nuts, and the grated parmesan into a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and pulse until a thick paste is created. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse until well-combined.

For the Feta-Stuffed Turkey Burgers:

Prepare the grill for medium heat.

Divide the ground turkey meat into four evenly portioned balls. Season well with salt and pepper. Flatten each in the center, pushing the outer edges up to form a bowl shape. Place 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta into each “bowl.” Fold the edges over the feta, until the cheese is completely sealed into the center. Place the patties on the grill and allow them to cook, untouched, for about 7 minutes. Flip the burgers and allow the second side to cook for an additional 7 minutes.

Slice the burger buns in half. Measure a tablespoon of olive oil and spread evenly on each half. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle garlic powder over each half. Place on grill (already heated to medium heat for the turkey burgers) and toast until lightly golden.

Spread arugula pesto over toasted burger bun tops. Assemble burgers with feta-stuffed turkey patties and roasted red peppers. Serve.

Filed Under: Turkey · Tagged: healthy, pesto, stuffed, burger, arugula, feta

May 25, 2012

Crabmeat Salad Stuffed Avocados

By The Scrumptious Pumpkin · 34 Comments

Crabmeat, to me, means summertime.

I spent my childhood summers in Maine, where there is no shortage of rocky coastlines, cute little seaside towns, and warm-weather seafood festivals.

There is also no shortage of seafood “shacks” (for lack of a better word).

The kind of place where you can stroll in wearing shorts and sandals, order at the counter, take a seat at a picnic table, and then dig into a feast fit for a king (fresh-caught lobster, mussels, clams, etc.).

When I go back to visit Maine in the summertime, I love to eat crabmeat rolls (crabmeat mixed with mayo and stuffed into a butter-slathered, toasted roll).

But for this post, I wanted something a little healthier than crabmeat stuffed into buttered white bread.

So I added lots of flavorful fresh veggies.

And I stuffed the crabmeat into avocados instead of a roll.

If you love crabmeat like I do, I think you just might adore this recipe.

It’s extremely bright, crisp, and flavorful.

And the rich, creamy avocado is the perfect complement to the light and fresh crabmeat.

Bonus: there is no cooking involved in this recipe.

And you should be able to whip this dish together in under 20 minutes flat!

Here’s the line-up of ingredients for this quick and easy dish. So summer-y!

Begin by dicing up about half of a tomato.

Also dice up about half of an orange or yellow bell pepper.

Why orange or yellow? To add lots of beautiful color to the dish as well as a wide variety of vitamins!

Use a pair of kitchen shears (or a good knife if you don’t have kitchen shears) to chop up some fresh chives.

Chives, by the way, are a healthy cook’s secret weapon.

They have a very light, delicate onion-y taste and they add amazing, zesty flavor to your dish without fat and calories.

They’re also full of vitamins, like Vitamins C and E to keep your immune system strong. And selenium to fight free radicals and toxins in your body (protecting you from cancer and heart disease). And fiber to support digestion.

See what I mean by secret weapon?

Next, throw together an easy dressing for the crabmeat salad.

Grab a mixing bowl and whisk together some Dijon mustard and some red wine vinegar.

Slowly whisk in a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

And you now have a light, fresh, healthy seafood salad dressing that’s quick and easy to prepare anytime.

Toss your Miracle Whip in the trash, you won’t be needing that any longer!

Next add some fresh, fully cooked crabmeat (you can buy it prepared and fully cooked at the store) to the dressing.

Also add the diced tomato and bell pepper and about a tablespoon of the chopped chives.

Stir until everything is well combined.

Now, slice an avocado in half lengthwise. You’ll feel a large pit in the center – continue to cut around it.

Pull the two halves apart and immediately pour some fresh lemon juice over the avocado.

This will prevent it from turning brown. So you’ll end up with a nice, lovely presentation at the end and look like quite the kitchen pro.

Use a spoon to scoop out the pit.

Then scoop out about one-third of the avocado meat from the center of each half.

You should have a nice hollowed-out center to fill with the crabmeat salad.

You can add the avocado meat that you just scooped out to the crabmeat salad as well – just stir it in, and nothing is wasted!

Stuff each avocado full of the crabmeat salad.

Feel free to really pile it on until it’s overflowing – this salad is light and healthy, so serve yourself a nice, heaping portion!

Finally, take a seat and enjoy.

What you’ll taste: fresh crabmeat, combined with bright, crisp veggies, combined with a richly flavorful and zesty dressing, combined with a hint of citrus, combined with creamy avocado.

Mmmmmmm. Welcome summer!

Here is the complete recipe:

Crabmeat Salad Stuffed Avocados

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 0 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

9 ounces fresh, wild caught crabmeat, fully cooked

1/2 tomato, diced

1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons chives, chopped

2 avocados

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, squeezed from 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dijon and red wine vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

To the bowl, add the cooked crabmeat, tomato, bell pepper and 1 tablespoon of chives. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut each avocado in half and immediately pour lemon juice over each half to keep the avocados from turning brown. Using a small spoon, scoop out the pit. Also scoop out about 1/3 of the fruit from the center of each avocado half. Add the scooped-out avocado to the crabmeat salad and stir to combine. Stuff each avocado with the crabmeat salad. Sprinkle the remaining chives over each half and serve.

Filed Under: Fish and Seafood · Tagged: avocado, crab, crabmeat, dijon, healthy, salad

May 22, 2012

20-Minute Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken

By The Scrumptious Pumpkin · 27 Comments

Memorial Day always sneaks up on me.

Maybe because New England weather is often still chilly and rainy and decidedly not summer-like in late May.

But every year, I’m shocked when I realize: Memorial Day is only a week away!

Meaning the official start of summer is nearly here.

I usually panic slightly because here it is, almost summer, and I have no summer plans whatsoever.

But mostly it’s always the best kind of ‘finding a $20 bill in your back pocket’ surprise.

Because I definitely have a Top 4 List for Embracing the New Season:

1) New summer uniform: store away the heavy black boots and slip on the breezy flip-flops.

2) New work schedule: the best benefit my company offers is called ‘summer hours.’ We work extra hours Monday-Thursday so we can take Fridays off and enjoy long weekends throughout the summer months. Every office should do this, all year long, in my opinion!

3) New way of life: lazy evenings outside that stretch on endlessly because the sun won’t set until 8:30pm.

4) New method of cooking: fire up the grill!

I like to grill, but I pretty much always lack the forethought to whip together those grilling marinades that need to be prepared 24 hours ahead of time.

That’s why I love this chicken.

You can cook it up on the grill and it’s ready to eat in 20 minutes.

I always have the ingredients on hand, so I know this will be my go-to recipe this summer.

And it does the trick, transforming chicken breasts from blah to slightly savory, slightly sweet, richly flavorful, and tender.

Here are the only ingredients you’ll need (plus skinless, boneless chicken breasts and salt and pepper, of course) – so easy!

Begin by preparing some fresh thyme.

Grab a thyme sprig and hold it at the tip.

Slide your other hand down the sprig, pulling off all the leaves along the way.

Then add some Dijon mustard, honey and the thyme leaves to a bowl and whisk.

Slowly whisk in some extra virgin olive oil.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Prepare your grill for medium heat.

Next, season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the hot grill.

One of the keys to keeping your chicken moist and tender: once you’ve set it on the grill, don’t touch it.

(Don’t keep flipping it, don’t move it around on the grill, and definitely don’t press down on it with your tongs or spatula).

After about 6 minutes, flip the chicken.

Allow the second side to cook for about 6 minutes more, again without touching it.

When the chicken is just cooked through (if you’re not sure, you can test it for a reading of 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer), brush on the honey dijon sauce.

A couple of reasons you want to really watch your chicken and remove it from the heat as soon as it’s cooked through:

the right timing is one of the keys to delicious, moist, and juicy chicken.
charred, blackened meat contains cancer-causing substances that are best to avoid.

If you haven’t heard much about the link between grilled meats and cancer, here’s a quick and useful guide from CNN Health.

To quickly sum it up, it’s okay to grill meat once in a while in the summer, just follow some key tips to healthy grilling:

1) remove any excess fat from the meat before cooking

2) don’t allow the food to cook so long that it becomes blackened and charred

3) if you notice any blackened or charred pieces when you’re eating, just remove and discard.

Flip the chicken and brush the remaining sauce on the second side.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover, and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.

Allowing it to rest for a few minutes keeps it nice and moist and tender when you serve it.

Then serve!

The savory Dijon mustard mixed with the sweet honey combined with the fresh thyme is so richly flavorful.

Who knew grilled chicken could taste this amazing in under 20 minutes flat?

Perfect for Memorial Day Weekend or any lazy, laid-back, warm evening, all summer long!

Other Scrumptious Pumpkin dishes you may enjoy:
Healthy Baked Parmesan Fries
Lemon-Sage Shrimp with Asparagus and Artichokes
Coconut Cake Pancakes with Maple-Glazed Bananas

Here is the complete recipe:

20-Minute Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep: 3 minutes

Cook: 12 minutes

Inactive: 5 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, fat trimmed

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare the grill to medium heat.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, dijon, and chopped thyme. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the hot grill. Allow the first side to cook for about 6 minutes, and allow it to cook without pressing down or moving the chicken. Flip to the other side and allow it to cook about 6 minutes more. When the chicken is just cooked through, brush on the honey dijon sauce. Flip the chicken and brush on the remaining sauce. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest about 5 minutes, covered. Serve.